a) Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a clamping holder with an arrangement of a first leg and a second leg which are formed in such a way that they can be moved towards one another and with adjusting means acting upon at least one of the legs, the activation of these means enabling a movement of the legs towards one another so that objects can be locked in position.
b) Description of the Related Art
Clamping holders of the preceding type are known. They are used, for example, to clamp the arms of instrument microphones to musical instruments. They are constructed, for example, as a holding clip, wherein the adjusting means have a defined spring stiffness (pretensioning) that is determined by material and manufacture and by means of which the legs are pressed together. These known clamping holders are disadvantageous in that the cross section of the material to be clamped is predetermined. Further, if used incorrectly, there is the risk of mechanical damage when engaging parts with delicate surfaces. The object to be clamped can only be axially displaced or rotated while in the clamped state under frictional engagement, which increases mechanical wear.
Clamping holders constructed as holding clips with bore holes in their legs are also known. A first bore hole in one of the legs is threaded. The diameter of a second bore hole in the other of the two legs is slightly greater than the diameter of the first bore hole. The adjusting means of a known clamping holder of this type are formed by an adjusting screw with a continuous thread engaging in the thread of the first bore hole. The adjusting screw is guided through the second bore hole with a small amount of play. A head of the adjusting screw rests on the outside of that leg of the clamping holder provided with the second bore hole.
A clamping holder of this known type is changed from the opened position to the closed position by tightening the adjusting screw. Screwing in the adjusting screw causes the leg provided with the second bore hole to be carried along by the head of the adjusting screw and moved into the closed position. An object which is arranged between the legs for clamping is held by frictional engagement by the clamping holder when the adjusting screw is tightened.
An object which is clamped in this known type of clamping holder is released from the clamping holder by unscrewing the adjusting screw. The movability of the leg with the second bore hole in the intermediate space between the head of the adjusting screw and a position in contact with the leg with the first bore hole is increased corresponding to the releasing rotational movement. Provided the clamping holder has been opened, the object arranged between the legs can be removed from the clamping holder.
In practice it happens, for example, that an object clamped between the legs of a known clamping holder sticks to the legs. In this case, releasing the adjusting screw of a clamping holder holding an object in such a manner will not result in a movement of the leg with the second bore hole. In this situation, a user might suspect that the adjusting screw has not been unscrewed far enough to release the object. However, as a result of further unscrewing of the adjusting screw from the first bore hole, the adjusting screw will lose its hold in the clamping holder and will be released by the clamping holder and, for example, fall to the floor where it can get lost.
There is also the danger that a user of this clamping holder who is possibly in a hurry may not open the legs sufficiently when turning the adjusting screw, so that the surface of the object to be inserted between the legs or to be removed from the holder is damaged by rough contact with the legs. Frequent use of the known clamping holder for clamping an object, particularly if this object has a sensitive surface, can result in damage to the surface of the object by scratching and/or deformation.
There is an additional risk of deformation of an object held by a known clamping holder by the fact that a user may tighten the adjusting screw so much that the object is dented by the legs, for example.
A further disadvantage of the known clamping holders consists in that the object to be held by such a clamping holder can be precisely positioned only with difficulty because the legs of the clamping holder do not hold the object when in the open position so that, when placing between the legs, the object is practically free to move between the legs. Tightening the adjusting screw locks the object firmly between the legs, so that a slight adjustment or turning of the object between the legs can no longer be made as it is now connected with the legs in frictional engagement.